‘Commotion’ call nets drugs

November 17, 2012

EAST LIVERPOOL - Officers called Thursday night to an Ambrose Avenue home for "a lot of commotion" and a man beating a woman got more than they bargained for.

As they approached the house, officers could hear screaming and yelling and, after knocking on the door, saw several people running past a living room window and up a staircase.

Looking through a window, Patrolman Greg Smith reported seeing a man placing a 2-by-4 board against the front door while another man did the same to the door on which Smith had been knocking.

Chief John Lane said later that a system had been built inside the doors to allow the boards to be slipped behind wood blocks so the doors could not be opened.

As Smith continued knocking and advising he was there to investigate a domestic dispute, people inside told him they were not opening the door.

While waiting on other officers to arrive, Smith saw three men running up and down the stairs and, when other officers came on the scene, one of the men fled by jumping out a second story window onto a roof and then off the roof to the ground, where he eluded Smith, heading toward Bradshaw Avenue.

Officers from St. Clair Township were called to assist and those inside were cautioned to either open up or the township K-9 officer Axel would be sent inside, but they still refused to open the door.

A battering ram was used to open the door and St. Clair K-9 officer Chris Davis and Axel went inside with city police Capt. Tom Clark, where they reported finding two men and small child in the doorway to the kitchen.

The two men, Dennis D. White, 25, and James T. Keys, 26, were taken into custody and charged with obstructing official business, as well as for outstanding warrants.

Meanwhile, the child's mother, Amanda Delay, arrived on the scene and he was released to her. She reportedly told officers she had left him with Keys

but had no idea who else was inside the residence while she was gone.

Officers reported finding in plain view on the kitchen counter a digital scale and box of baggies.

Axel alerted near a vacuum cleaner in the kitchen, and officers discovered inside the device a baggie of marijuana, according to reports.

When searched, Keys reportedly had $553 in his pocket, along with batteries missing from the digital scale and the cover from the scale.

Asked how he came by the cash, Keys initially told officers from his job but when asked about his job, said the money came from his aunt, then said he won it playing a video game, they reported.